Police Dog Blues Acoustic tab by Blind Arthur Blake

Tabs

Tuning: Drop D MajorD (D MajorD A augmentedA D MajorD G+G BB E MajorE)

Key: D MajorD

Difficulty: Intermediate

Police Dog Blues
-
Blind Blake originally, but this is the Blues Willis version
-
140 bpm

Intro:
D MajorD ||-----2--------------0-------------|-0-------------|---0----0-----||
A augmentedA ||---0---3bp0-------2---2-0---------|---3-2p0-------|--------------||
F#F#||----------------------------0-----|-----------0---|------0-----0-||
D MajorD ||--------------------------3---0---|---------3---0-|----0-----0---||
A augmentedA ||-0----------0-1-2-------0---------|---------------|--------------||
D MajorD ||--------------------------------0-|---------------|-0------0-----||

Verse 1:
All my life I’ve, been a traveling man...
D MajorD ||---0-----0-----|-----------------|---0-------------|---0-----0-----|
A augmentedA ||---------------|---2-------2-----|-----3-2p0-------|---------------|
F#F#||-------0-----0-|-------1-------1-|-------------0---|-------0-----0-|
D MajorD ||-----0-----0---|-----0-------0---|-----------3---0-|-----0-----0---|
A augmentedA ||---------------|-2-------2-------|-----------------|---------------|
D MajorD ||-0-------0-----|-----------------|-0---------------|-0-------0-----|

All my life I’ve, been a traveling man.
D MajorD |---------------------------------|---0-------------|---0-----0-----|
A augmentedA |---2-------2-------2-------2-----|-----3-2p0-------|---------------|
F#F#|-------1-------1-------1-------1-|-------------0---|-------0-----0-|
D MajorD |-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----------3---0-|-----0-----0---|
A augmentedA |-2-------2-------2-------2-------|-----------------|---------------|
D MajorD |---------------------------------|-0---------------|-0-------0-----|

Staying alone, doin’ the best I can.
D MajorD |---2--------------0-------------|---0-------------|---0-----0-----|
A augmentedA |-----3bp0-------2---2-0---------|-----3-2p0-------|---------------|
F#F#|--------------------------0-----|-------------0---|-------0-----0-|
D MajorD |------------------------3---0---|-----------3---0-|-----0-----0---|
A augmentedA |-0--------0-1-2-------0---------|-----------------|---------------|
D MajorD |------------------------------0-|-0---------------|-0-------0-----|

I hauled my trunk, down to Tennessee...
D MajorD |---0-----0-----|-----------------|---0-------------|---0-----0-----|
A augmentedA |---------------|---2-------2-----|-----3-2p0-------|---------------|
F#F#|-------0-----0-|-------1-------1-|-------------0---|-------0-----0-|
D MajorD |-----0-----0---|-----0-------0---|-----------3---0-|-----0-----0---|
A augmentedA |---------------|-2-------2-------|-----------------|---------------|
D MajorD |-0-------0-----|-----------------|-0---------------|-0-------0-----|

I hauled my trunk, down to Tennessee.
D MajorD |---------------------------------|---0-------------|---0-----0-----|
A augmentedA |---2-------2-------2-------2-----|-----3-2p0-------|---------------|
F#F#|-------1-------1-------1-------1-|-------------0---|-------0-----0-|
D MajorD |-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----------3---0-|-----0-----0---|
A augmentedA |-2-------2-------2-------2-------|-----------------|---------------|
D MajorD |---------------------------------|-0---------------|-0-------0-----|

Hard to tell, ‘bout a man like me.
D MajorD |---2--------------0-------------|---0-------------|---0-----0-----||
A augmentedA |-----3bp0-------2---2-0---------|-----3-2p0-------|---------------||
F#F#|--------------------------0-----|-------------0---|-------0-----0-||
D MajorD |------------------------3---0---|-----------3---0-|-----0-----0---||
A augmentedA |-0--------0-1-2-------0---------|-----------------|---------------||
D MajorD |------------------------------0-|-0---------------|-0-------0-----||

First Solo:
D MajorD ||----7----7-------7----9------|-12*-------------12*---------12*-|
A augmentedA ||-8b---8b---8r-8b---8b---8r---|-----12*-------------12*---------|
F#F#||-----------------------------|---------12*-------------12*-----|
D MajorD ||-----------------------------|-------------12*-----------------|
A augmentedA ||-0---------------------------|---------------------------------|
D MajorD ||--------------0------------0-|---------------------------------|

D MajorD |---------0-----0-|-3p2p0---------------|-0-------------|---0-----0-|
A augmentedA |-------2---2-----|-------3p2p0---------|---3-2p0-------|-----------|
F#F#|-------------1---|---------------0-----|-----------0---|-------0---|
D MajorD |-----------------|-------------3---0---|---------3---0-|-----0-----|
A augmentedA |-0-1-2-----------|---------------------|---------------|-----------|
D MajorD |-----------------|-------------------0-|---------------|-0-------0-|

D MajorD |---------0---0---0---0---|-0-------------|---0-----0-----||
A augmentedA |---------0---0---0---0---|---3-2p0-------|---------------||
F#F#|-0-1-2-3---3---2---1---0-|-----------0---|-------0-----0-||
D MajorD |-0-2-3-4---4---3---2---0-|---------3---0-|-----0-----0---||
A augmentedA |-------------------------|---------------|---------------||
D MajorD |-----------------------0-|---------------|-0-------0-----||

Verse 2:
   D MajorD  G+G  A augmentedA
D MajorD ||-0---0---2-||
A augmentedA ||-0---2---0-||
F#F#||-0---1---1-||
D MajorD ||-0---0---2-||
A augmentedA ||-0---2---0-||
D MajorD ||-0---------||

D MajorD        G+G            D MajorD
I met a girl I, couldn’t get her off my mind...
G+G                    D MajorD
I met a girl I, couldn’t get her off my mind.
A augmentedA            G+G         D MajorD
She passed me up sayin’, she didn’t like my kind...
D MajorD           G+G          D MajorD
I’m scared to bother, ‘round her house at night...
G+G                     D MajorD
I’m scared to bother, ‘round her house at night.
A augmentedA            G+G          D MajorD
She got a police dog an’ he’s spoilin’ for a fight...


Second Solo:
D MajorD ||-----------X-----------X---------------------------|
A augmentedA ||-----------X-----------X---------------------------|
F#F#||-0-1-2-3-0-X-0-1-2-3-0-X-0-1-2-3-0-1-2-3-0-1-2-3-0-|
D MajorD ||-0-2-3-4-0-X-0-2-3-4-0-X-0-2-3-4-0-2-3-4-0-2-3-4-0-|
A augmentedA ||-----------X-----------X---------------------------|
D MajorD ||-----------X-----------X---------------------------|

D MajorD |---------0-----0-3p2p0---0-----------|-------------------------------|
A augmentedA |-------2---2-----------3---3p2p0-----|-------------------------------|
F#F#|-------------1---------------------0-|-------------------------------|
D MajorD |---------------------------------3---|---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|
A augmentedA |-0-1-2-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
D MajorD |-------------------------------------|-0---2---3---4---0---2---3---4-|

D MajorD |---2--------------0-------------|-0---------------||
A augmentedA |-0---3bp0-------2---2-0---------|---3-2-0---------||
F#F#|--------------------------0-----|-----------0-----||
D MajorD |------------------------3---0---|---------3---0---||
A augmentedA |----------0-1-2-------0---------|-----------------||
D MajorD |------------------------------0-|---------------0-||


Verse 3:
His name is Rambler, and when he gets the chance...
D MajorD ||---0-----0-----|-----------------|---0-------------|---0-----0-----|
A augmentedA ||---------------|---2-------2-----|-----3-2p0-------|---------------|
F#F#||-------0-----0-|-------1-------1-|-------------0---|-------0-----0-|
D MajorD ||-----0-----0---|-----0-------0---|-----------3---0-|-----0-----0---|
A augmentedA ||---------------|-2-------2-------|-----------------|---------------|
D MajorD ||-0-------0-----|-----------------|-0---------------|-0-------0-----|

His name is Rambler, and when he gets the chance,
D MajorD |---------------------------------|---0-------------|---0-----0-----|
A augmentedA |---2-------2-------2-------2-----|-----3-2p0-------|---------------|
F#F#|-------1-------1-------1-------1-|-------------0---|-------0-----0-|
D MajorD |-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----------3---0-|-----0-----0---|
A augmentedA |-2-------2-------2-------2-------|-----------------|---------------|
D MajorD |---------------------------------|-0---------------|-0-------0-----|

He leaves his mark on, everybody’s pants.
D MajorD |---2--------------0-------------|---0-------------|---0-----0-----|
A augmentedA |-----3bp0-------2---2-0---------|-----3-2p0-------|---------------|
F#F#|--------------------------0-----|-------------0---|-------0-----0-|
D MajorD |------------------------3---0---|-----------3---0-|-----0-----0---|
A augmentedA |-0--------0-1-2-------0---------|-----------------|---------------|
D MajorD |------------------------------0-|-0---------------|-0-------0-----|

I guess I’ll travel, I guess I’ll, let her be...
D MajorD |---0-----0-----|-----------------|---0-------------|---0-----0-----|
A augmentedA |---------------|---2-------2-----|-----3-2p0-------|---------------|
F#F#|-------0-----0-|-------1-------1-|-------------0---|-------0-----0-|
D MajorD |-----0-----0---|-----0-------0---|-----------3---0-|-----0-----0---|
A augmentedA |---------------|-2-------2-------|-----------------|---------------|
D MajorD |-0-------0-----|-----------------|-0---------------|-0-------0-----|

I guess I’ll travel, I guess I’ll, let her be...
D MajorD |---------------------------------|---0-------------|---0-----0-----|
A augmentedA |---2-------2-------2-------2-----|-----3-2p0-------|---------------|
F#F#|-------1-------1-------1-------1-|-------------0---|-------0-----0-|
D MajorD |-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----------3---0-|-----0-----0---|
A augmentedA |-2-------2-------2-------2-------|-----------------|---------------|
D MajorD |---------------------------------|-0---------------|-0-------0-----|

Before she sets that police dog on me...
D MajorD |-----2--------------0-------------|---0-------------|---0-----0-----|
A augmentedA |---0---3bp0-------2---2-0---------|-----3-2p0-------|---------------|
F#F#|----------------------------0-----|-------------0---|-------0-----0-|
D MajorD |--------------------------3---0---|-----------3---0-|-----0-----0---|
A augmentedA |-0----------0-1-2-------0---------|-----------------|---------------|
D MajorD |--------------------------------0-|-0---------------|-0-------0-----|

Before she sets that dog on, dog on me...
D MajorD |-----2--------------0-------------|-0-----------------------------12*--||
A augmentedA |---0---3bp0-------2---2-0---------|---3-2-------------12*-----12*------||
F#F#|----------------------------0-----|-------2-3-------------12*----------||
D MajorD |--------------------------3---0---|-----------3h4p3-0------------------||
A augmentedA |-0----------0-1-2-------0---------|------------------------------------||
D MajorD |--------------------------------0-|------------------------------------||

*********************

'b' = bend
'p' = pull-off
'h' = hammer-on
'*' = harmonic
'X' = percussive hit of strings with the palm of your hand

*********************

This is my interpretation of the Blues Willis version of this absolute classic open D MajorD blues song
by Blind Blake.
Played on either a steel string acoustic or a resonator, depending on what kind of sound you want.
There is also a version by Hugh Laurie played in open E, a great version of the song, and he did it
in very much his own style, slower and more reminiscent of the New Orleans style found in his 'Let
Them Talk (special edition)' album.

Other versions of Police Dog Blues Acoustic

Alternative guitar chords and tabs for Police dog blues by Blind Arthur Blake